A power-circuit breaking device is used to, for example, perform the work of maintaining an electrical system. FIG. 1 shows a connector device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 2015-50116 as a conventional example of this type of power-circuit breaking device. The connector device relays power supplied from a power system.
The connector device includes a first connector 10 and a second connector 20. The connector device is configured such that the first connector 10 can be fit into the second connector 20 and be removed from the second connector 20. FIG. 2 shows portions constituting the first connector 10. The first connector 10 includes a housing 11, a main terminal (power terminal) 12, a first operation member (lever) 13, a second operation member (slider) 14, a sub-connector 15, and a sub-terminal (sensing terminal) 16.
FIG. 3 shows a state where the first connector 10 is inserted in the second connector 20 and the second operation member 14 is at a second initial position. FIG. 4 shows a state where the first connector 10 is inserted in the second connector 20 and the second operation member 14 is at a second operating position. FIG. 5 shows the cross-sectional structure of the connector device in the state shown in FIG. 4.
The outline of the connector device will be described below.
The second connector 20 includes a housing 21, two main terminals 22, sub-connectors 23, and two sub-terminals 24 (see FIG. 5). The two sub-terminals 24 are held by the sub-connectors 23. The sub-connectors 23 are held by the housing 21. The two main terminals 22 are inserted in holding portions 21a of the housing 21 and held by the holding portions 21a. 
The main terminal 12 of the first connector 10 is inserted in the housing 11 and is held by the housing 11. The first operation member 13 is attached to the housing 11. A support shaft 11a of the housing 11 is inserted in a fulcrum portion 13a of the first operation member 13. Thus, the first operation member 13 can rotate about the fulcrum portion 13a as a pivot. The first operation member 13 moves between a first initial position (the position in FIG. 1) and a first operating position (the position in FIG. 3) through the rotation.
Slide projections 14a of the second operation member 14 are inserted in slide grooves 13b of the first operation member 13. As described above, the second operation member 14 is supported by the first operation member 13. The second operation member 14 can thus move in a longitudinal direction of the first operation member 13. With sliding of the second operation member 14 relative to the first operation member 13, the second operation member 14 moves between the second initial position and the second operating position.
The sub-terminal 16 is held by a holding portion 15a of the sub-connector 15. The sub-connector 15 is inserted in the housing 11 from below the housing 11 and is stored in a storage portion 11b of the housing 11. With adoption of a configuration in which the sub-connector 15 can be located both at a first position (upper position) and a second position (lower position) inside the housing 11, the sub-connector 15 is supported by the housing 11.
The first connector 10 is attached to the second connector 20 in the manner below.
A lower end portion of the housing 11 is inserted into the housing 21. When the first operation member 13 is located at the first initial position, a cylindrical cam projecting portion (which is hidden and not shown in FIG. 1) of the housing 21 is located in a cam groove portion 13c of the first operation member 13.
Through a rotational operation, the first operation member 13 moves from the first initial position to the first operating position (the position in FIG. 3). At this time, the cam projecting portion moves inside the cam groove portion 13c, which causes the housing 11 to move downward (that is, toward the second connector 20) and causes the main terminal 12 to be connected to the main terminals 22. When the main terminal 12 is connected to the main terminals 22, a power circuit (not shown) is formed.
When the second operation member 14 is located at the second initial position, as shown in FIG. 3, a cam projecting portion 15b of the sub-connector 15 is located at a front (an upper side in FIG. 2) end portion of a cam groove portion 14b of the second operation member 14.
Through a slide operation, the second operation member 14 moves from the second initial position (the position in FIG. 3) to the second operating position (the position in FIG. 4). The cam projecting portion 15b moves inside the cam groove portion 14b, which causes the sub-connector 15 to move downward (that is, toward the second connector 20). As shown in FIG. 5, with the movement of the sub-connector 15, the sub-terminal 16 is connected to the sub-terminals 24 at the other end. With the connection, a switch of the power circuit (not shown) is closed, and energization starts.
The first connector 10 fit in the second connector 20 is removed from the second connector 20 in the manner below.
When a lock lever 14c of the second operation member 14 is pushed downward (that is, toward the second connector 20), the second operation member 14 unlocks. With the unlocking, the second operation member 14 can move from the second operating position to the second initial position. The sub-connector 15 moves from the second position to the first position, the sub-terminal 16 is disconnected from the sub-terminals 24 at the other end, and energization stops.
Through a rotational operation, the first operation member 13 moves to the first initial position. The housing 11 moves upward (that is, in a direction away from the second connector 20), which causes the main terminal 12 to move upward (that is, in the direction away from the second connector 20). Thus, the main terminal 12 is disconnected from the main terminals 22 at the other end, and the power circuit is broken.
As described above, in the example, the main terminal 12 is connected to and disconnected from the main terminals 22 through operation of the first operation member 13, and the sub-terminal 16 is connected to and disconnected from the sub-terminals 24 through operation of the second operation member 14. That is, the first operation member 13 for operating the housing 11 that holds the main terminal 12 is different from the second operation member 14 for operating the sub-connector 15 that holds the sub-terminal 16. For this reason, it is impossible to simultaneously stop energization and break the power circuit. Thus, sufficient time is secured between disconnection of the sub-terminal 16 from the sub-terminals 24 and disconnection of the main terminal 12 from the main terminals 22.
The above-described power-circuit breaking device (connector device) can avoid breaking of a power circuit in an energized state and secure a discharge time between stoppage of energization and breaking of the power circuit. If the power-circuit breaking device (connector device) is installed in an electrical system using a high-capacity power source, arc discharge between terminals can be prevented from occurring at the time of breaking a power circuit in a case where maintenance work or the like is performed, and safety of a worker which performs maintenance work can be secured.
In the power-circuit breaking device having the configuration shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the second operation member (slider) 14 to be slide-operated is attached to the first operation member (lever) 13 to be operated by a user. With the configuration having the support shaft 11a inserted in the fulcrum portion 13a, the first operation member 13 is tiltable. Occurrence of looseness of the first operation member 13 is thus inevitable. The looseness of the first operation member 13 may degrade the position accuracy of the second operation member 14.
The degradation of the position accuracy of the second operation member 14 invites degradation of the position accuracy of the sub-connector 15 to be connected to the second operation member 14. Thus, the accuracy of alignment of the sub-terminal 16 held by the sub-connector 15 with the sub-terminals 24 may degrade to create a situation where the sub-terminal 16 held by the sub-connector 15 fails to be satisfactorily connected to the sub-terminals 24.